Theresa May agrees to set a date for her departure

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THERESA MAY has agreed to set a date in a few weeks’ time for the election of her successor as Tory leader.

She promised to set a timetable for her departure after the fourth vote on her Brexit deal in early June – regardless of whether it passes through the Commons or not.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, said in a statement following a meeting with the Prime Minister that he would meet her again after the Withdrawal Agreement vote to take place on June 3 to confirm details.

Ms May needs Labour MPs’ votes to get her deal through. Cross-party talks on Brexit are ongoing.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that Labour would order its MPs to vote down Ms May’s deal if there is no cross-party deal in place.

In the past, Ms May has resisted calls by the committee for her to name the date that she would be moving out of Downing Street.

Keen to take her place is former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who confirmed he would be a contender for leadership hours before Ms May and Mr Brady held their meeting.

According to the BBC, he told an insurance brokers’ conference in Manchester: “I’m going to go for it. Of course I’m going to go for it.”

Backbench Conservative MPs have blamed her failure to get a deal approved by the Commons to take Britain out of the EU as planned on March 29 for the heavy losses the party suffered in the English council elections earlier this month.

They fear the party is heading for another drubbing at the hands of Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party in the European elections on May 23.